APPENDIX A SALT Sloping Agricultural Land Technology.pdfVIP

175 APPENDIX A SALT Sloping Agricultural Land Technology Adapted from Philippine Upland World 1982 (Official publication of the Bureau of Forest Development) The Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center of Southern Philippines has developed a way to protect hilly land, called: sloping agricultural land technology (SALT). It is a simple 10-step procedure, but an effective way of farming hilly land without losing the topsoil to erosion. Step 1 Make an A-frame (see diagram A). Step 2 Locate the contour lines using the A-frame, and mark by driving sticks into the ground 4 – 6m apart for steep slopes or 7 – 10m apart for gradual slopes. Step 3 Prepare the contour lines for planting (by plowing and harrowing). Step 4 Plant seeds of nitrogen-fixing trees (e.g., ipil-ipil) 5 inches apart along the contour lines; these trees will be the main soil-holder as well as source of fertilizer; upon reaching 4 –5m high, their shade would prevent growth of grass and prepare the soil for planting (see diagram D). Step 5 Plant permanent crops (e.g., coffee, banana, citrus, cacao) between two rows of trees (called strip), every fourth row. Step 6 Cultivate alternate strips. Alternate cultivation will prevent erosion. Step 7 Plant short-term crops (e.g., beans, pineapple, ginger, peanuts, melon, rice) between strips of permanent crops. Plant short plants away from tall plants to avoid shading. Step 8 Trim nitrogen-fixing trees once a months, and keep the leaves and twigs at the base of the tree; they serve as fertilizers. Step 9 Practice crop-rotation to maintain fertility and good soil formation. Step 10 Build-up the green terraces by keeping on piling up leaves, twigs, branches of trees at the base of the nitrogen-fixing trees. Doing this regularly would help anchor the soil and build-up permanent green terraces.